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Jun Hong Lu Brings New Challenges in Cracking down on Counterfeit Goods in China

March 15 is a miraculous day in China where counterfeit and shoddy products emerge in endlessly. It seems that only on this day everyone in the country will concern and celebrate the new tiny breakthrough in cracking down on counterfeit goods.

As an independent journalist resident in China for more than 12 years, I have witnessed and heard countless stories of counterfeit goods as well as the producers and sellers. The Chinese government has made efforts in this aspect, however those who are cunning and capricious in seeking profit could always challenge our imagination by their “innovation”.

YEARBOOK OF WHO’S WHO OF CHINA 2014

Let’s see a rather ironic example about counterfeiting. There is an unknown presswork but of great reputation, Yearbook of Who’s Who of China (ISSN: ISSN1008-1771), in which more than 1,000 Chinese celebrities from political leaders to prisoners have been included without any difference as long as they are well-known. Generally speaking, people are included mainly because they are famous. But in some cases, the competent department of this presswork: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, an organization specializes in studying tractor and farmland spray system, may also include some “queue jumpers” in an undetectable way.

For instance, Richard Lu (Junhong Lu), a 57-year-old man who acted in low comedies and later worked as the host of a small Chinese radio in Australia, initiatively promised to subscribe 1,500 copies of Yearbook of Who’s Who of China 2014 the bid price of which was CNY300, and then the editorial department included him into the book after many celebrities readily. In order to obtain a more compellent ranking, Richard Lu subscribed extra 1,000 books. Therefore, his name and introduction was put before the famous film director Ang Lee, who was the first ethnic Chinese that won the title of best director in three worldwide film award ceremonies: Academy Award, British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Award, respectively.

Richard Lu

The bill amount of the books purchased by Richard Lu who became famous worldwide from an unknown overnight was up to CNY 750,000 (109,000 USD), an enormous figure for mainland Chinese but negligible to overseas ethnic Chinese. The actual payer of these 25,000 copies of Yearbook of Who’s Who of China 2014 was Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association with its account established in St George Bank. This is a capital raising organization collecting charity fund from many well-wishers, the legal person of which is exactly Richard Lu. But what’s most worth further consideration is that, the payee only actually received CNY 250,000 for payment of books. Perhaps only God knows where the remaining CNY500,000 goes to.

What we have seen is a research institution specialized in developing agricultural implements, a list of celebrities that could be willfully adjusted, an old man who acted in low comedies and also worked as the radio host, a charity organization in which fund could be casually embezzled, a large amount of money that disappeared without a trace, a dye-in-the-wood counterfeit industry chain, and an unpresentable way of money laundering.